# Coolidor vs Wineador



## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

Sometime during the fall or winter I am going to buy some boxes, around 10, of CC for some short term aging. In the ballpark of around 3-5 years. Right now I'm having a tough time deciding on what type of storage I want. Whether it be a coolidor or wineador I'm not sure, so I was hoping some of you more experienced smokers can lend me your knowledge and experience. 


From what I read I think most or maybe all CC are not put in a freezer before shipment, so there's always a threat of beetles. Additionally I read that beetles only hatch when it is both hot AND humid, so if I keep the humidity 60 and below I should be fine even if it is 90 degrees in my house or dorm. 


I'm looking for something that is relatively cost-efficient since I'm on a scholar's a.k.a college student's budget. If it's not necessary I would prefer to go the coolidor route. Also if possible particular brand or model recommendations would also be appreciated. 


Here is a short list of what I think are the pros and cons to each, if you have anything else to add please let me know! Also is a marine guide cooler really superior to a regular cooler? 


Coolidor Pros:
A lot of storage for cheap 
Easily transportable to my dorm and home between semesters 

Coolidor Cons:
Might get too hot or too cold (Only real downside I can think of)
Not attractive, but I don't care about cosmetics

Wineador Pros:
Temperature control
Looks fancier

Wineador Cons:
Less room
Uses power and has the potential to breakdown 
Might be a pain in the ass to move it
More fragile and has the potential to break


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## Senor_Perfecto (Apr 2, 2014)

If the temp gets above 75 where the units will be, you need a wineador.

Done & done.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Just me, but I have a basement and central AC so I'd go with the cooler. Leave and forget with a once a year check.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

piperdown said:


> Just me, but I have a basement and central AC so I'd go with the cooler. Leave and forget with a once a year check.


Do you think temperature fluctuations would cause any harm?

I already keep my stogies room temperature, which is highly volatile and I have yet to encounter a problem. I'm just having a difficult time justifying a wineador.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> Do you think temperature fluctuations would cause any harm?
> 
> I already keep my stogies room temperature, which is highly volatile and I have yet to encounter a problem. I'm just having a difficult time justifying a wineador.


I try and take as many variables out of the equation with storing cc's. Let them rest in a cool, dark place at the right rH and leave them alone except for a quick check. 
Cooler is cheap and effective. Temps stay stable in my house. I have a wineador project going on but I wouldn't use it to store for aging.....but that's my opinion.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I am in NH and keep 5 coolers in the basement


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## Gdaddy (Sep 20, 2012)

If the temps get at or above 75 you run the risk of beetles hatching. Wine coolers can be had fairly inexpensively on Craigs list. They use very little electricity.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

piperdown said:


> I try and take as many variables out of the equation with storing cc's. Let them rest in a cool, dark place at the right rH and leave them alone except for a quick check.
> Cooler is cheap and effective. Temps stay stable in my house. I have a wineador project going on but I wouldn't use it to store for aging.....but that's my opinion.


Indeed. That's what I'm trying to do as well.



asmartbull said:


> I am in NH and keep 5 coolers in the basement


Problem is I got no basement. Maybe a dark closet would do?



Gdaddy said:


> If the temps get at or above 75 you run the risk of beetles hatching. Wine coolers can be had fairly inexpensively on Craigs list. They use very little electricity.


Just checked my hygrometer it is currently 82 Fahrenheit. I guess I gotta go the wineador route...:violin:


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## Breezy818 (Oct 1, 2012)

Freeze, and then do whatever best fits your needs.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

Breezy818 said:


> Freeze, and then do whatever best fits your needs.


I was thinking of that, but I'm not sure if I would have access to a freezer. I gotta look into that option more.

Maybe a cooler plus a small freezer would be cheaper than a used wine cooler.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

:bump2::bump2:
Don't normally do this, but since Puff has been down I will bump my thread for the first time.


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## JCubed (Mar 5, 2014)

Depends on if you're going to freeze or not. I made the mistake of spending hundreds on a wineador and very custom drawers (that still aren't here). Then learned about freezing. I wish I had just gotten a huge cooler and had a desktop humidor for ready-to-smokes. WAY cheaper and easier than the wineador build I'm still not finished with.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

JCubed said:


> Depends on if you're going to freeze or not. I made the mistake of spending hundreds on a wineador and very custom drawers (that still aren't here). Then learned about freezing. I wish I had just gotten a huge cooler and had a desktop humidor for ready-to-smokes. WAY cheaper and easier than the wineador build I'm still not finished with.


Yeah. Also got some good news.

Well it also came to my attention that Habanos SA freezes everything now, but I have no source to prove it. Does anyone know anything about this?


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## Breezy818 (Oct 1, 2012)

Supposedly Habanos does freeze. But even if they do, there's not way to tell that boxes aren't compromised after they leave the island. Sticks will ultimately travel to several countries and warehouses along their journey. They can be infected at any stop along the way that might have tobacco beetles. The safest bet is to freeze (again) upon their final landing on your doorstep. Think of it as a terminal cleanse so to speak. 

I can only control temps to a limited degree. I freeze everything coming into my house. Not worth the risk not to


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## Lrbergin (Jun 14, 2012)

The beauty of a cooler over say a tupperdor is that is protects against big temp swings because it's insulated. I would go with a cooler for aging personally. I use both, but for boxes I want to sit on for a while, I use the cooler. The wineador is more like my desk top that I put ready to smoke stuff in. I mostly got one for aesthetics. With the cooler you will have extra money for smokes too.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

For anyone interested here's an article proving that Habanos SA does freeze their sticks.



> Cuban-cigar merchants are declaring death of the tobacco weevil following a visit to a new, massive storage and quality control center in Guanabacoa, a suburb of Havana.
> 
> I visited the complex last week with English cigar merchants Jemma Freeman, head of Cuban cigar importers Hunters & Frankau, and Edward Sahakian, owner of London's Davidoff shop. The 90,000-square-foot building is a temperature- and humidity-controlled building for holding all cigar stocks for export. It has a capacity of about 70 million to 80 million cigars. Habanos S.A., the global distribution and marketing company for Cuban cigars, runs the facility.
> 
> ...


Havana Corner: Freezing in Havana | Cuba | Cigar Aficionado


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> Sometime during the fall or winter I am going to buy some boxes, around 10, of CC for some short term aging. In the ballpark of around 3-5 years. Right now I'm having a tough time deciding on what type of storage I want. Whether it be a coolidor or wineador I'm not sure, so I was hoping some of you more experienced smokers can lend me your knowledge and experience.
> 
> From what I read I think most or maybe all CC are not put in a freezer before shipment, so there's always a threat of beetles. Additionally I read that beetles only hatch when it is both hot AND humid, so if I keep the humidity 60 and below I should be fine even if it is 90 degrees in my house or dorm.
> 
> ...


Freeze your cigars go to Walmart and pick up a marine cooler its really that simple.


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## US2China (Sep 18, 2012)

Senor_Perfecto said:


> If the temp gets above 75 where the units will be, you need a wineador.
> 
> Done & done.


+1, they are small, but worth it. I am trying to convert an oak icebox into a thermoelectric wineador for more room and a nice look.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Freeze your cigars go to Walmart and pick up a marine cooler its really that simple.


The more I think of it, the more I think you are right.

How do you store your sticks?


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> The more I think of it, the more I think you are right.
> 
> How do you store your sticks?


You know i use humidors bro we already discussed this silly.LOL!


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> You know i use humidors bro we already discussed this silly.LOL!


I'm sorry your right. I just checked my PMs. Sorry long day brother.
I just went crazy checking different coolers. Too many options out there!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> I'm sorry your right. I just checked my PMs. Sorry long day brother.
> I just went crazy checking different coolers. Too many options out there!


I know bro i know it was a long day here too but very rewarding.
I hope your feeling better.
I only suggest the coolidor and freezing your sticks because i know your on a budget and its the best suggestion i think.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> I know bro i know it was a long day here too but very rewarding.
> I hope your feeling better.
> I only suggest the coolidor and freezing your sticks because i know your on a budget and its the best suggestion i think.


Thanks brother! I feel much better, but still a tad bit sore. 
I think that's the route I'll go. I was thinking of finding a small chest freezer to freeze whole boxes at a time. Not sure if they would get cold enough to kill beetle eggs though.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> Thanks brother! I feel much better, but still a tad bit sore.
> I think that's the route I'll go. I was thinking of finding a small chest freezer to freeze whole boxes at a time. Not sure if they would get cold enough to kill beetle eggs though.


Your welcome.
Any freezer gets cold enough leave them in for 5 days to be sure!


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Your welcome.
> Any freezer gets cold enough leave them in for 5 days to be sure!


Sounds good. Think I'm gonna go look for a freezer or wine cooler on Criaglist's. Forgot about looking at second hand stuff. 
I'll let destiny decided whether I go cooler or wineador.


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## Mitch (Oct 2, 2009)

I bought a wineador from wal mart and only spent $75. I just throw my boxes in there and don't worry about it. Our temps and humidity both are extremely high so I just wanted to be safe


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## concig (Mar 25, 2013)

Lrbergin said:


> The beauty of a cooler over say a tupperdor is that is protects against big temp swings because it's insulated..


What I do is to freeze first, then put same cigars in their own small or medium size tupperdor with own boveda and then all together in cooler(s). Best of all worlds?
Simple,cost effective and trouble free always.


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## ssutton219 (Apr 17, 2007)

My opinion for what its worth..

Cooler. Cheap and easy and if you do need to cool your sticks off throw a blue ice pac wrapped in a towel in there. 

I have tried it all..6-7 yrs ago I was anal about my cigars..I modified a large dorm fridge with a temp controller and thermostat, remote read out of temp and humidity..it would cool and move air at certain temps and humidity...it was overkill.

Right now I have an old cooler in the living room and its working fine. For storage use a cooler..for everyday or man cave then yeah a wine cooler.

Good luck.

The Troll


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

I have a closet full of coolers. Never considered a wine cooler.
Never had issues with temperatures, even during long power outages
(during which, a wine cooler wouldn't work anyway).


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## pmr1010 (Jul 13, 2013)

Due to a funk in my very nice humidor I ONLY use coolers now. In a climate controlled room with 62% Boveda packs at 68°f. Everything keeps perfectly and this is now how I treat all of my cigars. I've kept one for a long time and now I have 3 kept the same way and I think the total cost for all 3 of them is well below $100 to store several hundred cigars.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

Mitch said:


> I bought a wineador from wal mart and only spent $75. I just throw my boxes in there and don't worry about it. Our temps and humidity both are extremely high so I just wanted to be safe


That's good to know. Just curious, but what brand did you buy, how many bottles can it hold, and about how many boxes/sticks can you put in it?



concig said:


> What I do is to freeze first, then put same cigars in their own small or medium size tupperdor with own boveda and then all together in cooler(s). Best of all worlds?
> Simple,cost effective and trouble free always.


That's one alternative I'm still contemplating.



ssutton219 said:


> My opinion for what its worth..
> 
> Cooler. Cheap and easy and if you do need to cool your sticks off throw a blue ice pac wrapped in a towel in there.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your opinion and it's worth a lot! 
My own problem is that sometimes my dorm or house get's over 85 degrees F. Thus I'm scared of the potential of beetles that can ruin my collection.



Hermit said:


> I have a closet full of coolers. Never considered a wine cooler.
> Never had issues with temperatures, even during long power outages
> (during which, a wine cooler wouldn't work anyway).


Lucky. I wish I had a more stable environment, but I unfortunately live in an apartment.



pmr1010 said:


> Due to a funk in my very nice humidor I ONLY use coolers now. In a climate controlled room with 62% Boveda packs at 68°f. Everything keeps perfectly and this is now how I treat all of my cigars. I've kept one for a long time and now I have 3 kept the same way and I think the total cost for all 3 of them is well below $100 to store several hundred cigars.


You are another lucky BOTL. I got no temperature control. For example I'm sweating like a dog now because my computer generates a lot of damn heat.


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## ssutton219 (Apr 17, 2007)

Blue Ice | All-Purpose Ice Pack | Rubbermaid

Freeze, wrap in towel and place in cooler...

General Tools, Wireless Digital Thermo-Hygrometer with 1 Remote Sensor, 90 ft. Range, EMR963HG at The Home Depot - Mobile

Put the remote sensor from this in and monitor it from any room.

Just some suggestions.

Good luck.

The Troll


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

ssutton219 said:


> Blue Ice | All-Purpose Ice Pack | Rubbermaid
> 
> Freeze, wrap in towel and place in cooler...
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info brother. 
Just wondering, but wouldn't those icepacks cause condensation to occur, which then would mess with the humidity?


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## ssutton219 (Apr 17, 2007)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> Thanks for the info brother.
> Just wondering, but wouldn't those icepacks cause condensation to occur, which then would mess with the humidity?


It could..depending on how long itbwas in the cooler but with beads/kl and the cigars stored in their boxes will buffer much of it..

The Troll


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## Mitch (Oct 2, 2009)

I don't remember what brand, I just bought the one for around $80 that stored 18 bottles. I'm not sure how many sticks as I stick boxes in there. I have over a hundo now and can fit more


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

Mitch said:


> I don't remember what brand, I just bought the one for around $80 that stored 18 bottles. I'm not sure how many sticks as I stick boxes in there. I have over a hundo now and can fit more


That's a pretty good deal for something brand new. I can't find anything on their site now that has 18 bottles for 80. Good find! 
I think my best bet would be to find something used for cheap or just go the cooler route.


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## Mitch (Oct 2, 2009)

Walmart: Igloo Premium 12-Bottle Wine Cooler

Sorry 12 bottle for 78


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> Thanks for the info brother.
> Just wondering, but wouldn't those icepacks cause condensation to occur, which then would mess with the humidity?


Yes.
Way too much work, too.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

Hermit said:


> Yes.
> Way too much work, too.


That's what I thought. Thanks for confirming. 
If I can get a decent sized wine cooler for the price of a cooler then I can't complain because it will hold humidity whether I got power or not. I'm just paranoid about my collection being decimated by the cursed beetle since I do have high temperatures.


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## JustinThyme (Jun 17, 2013)

Cigar-Enthusiast said:


> That's what I thought. Thanks for confirming.
> If I can get a decent sized wine cooler for the price of a cooler then I can't complain because it will hold humidity whether I got power or not. I'm just paranoid about my collection being decimated by the cursed beetle since I do have high temperatures.


There is the alternative to move where the rent is much cheaper and you can afford to run the AC. You couldn't pay me to live in any of the 5 boroughs. The median Apartments right across US 1 from me in a very desirable town start at $1200/month for a 2BR, same apartment will go for $3K+/month in Manhattan. Still too damned much IMO as where I came from down south $1200/month rents a 4 BR 3 Bath house!


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